Wang Xianzhi 王献之

Wang Xianzhi (344-388 or 386), born in Kuaiji of Shanyin, was a famed calligrapher. He was the seventh son of the famous calligrapher Wang Xizhi, son-in-law of the Emperor Wendi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He served, as did his father, at the Eastern Jin court, attaining the rank of Chief Councillor (zhongshuling or daling), by which title he was later frequently known.

He was a child prodigy in calligraphy and enjoyed a reputation as a young calligraphy master. He was only eight years old when he participated in his father's literary gathering at the Orchid Pavilion. His father once stealthily came up from behind and tried to yank the brush from the seven-year-old Wang Xianzhi. Xianzhi was holding the brush pen so tightly that the father was unable to take it away from his hand. The father sighed that the son would become famous in the future. Wang Xianzhi himself claimed that at the age of 24, while roaming the mountains, he received instructions in the form of a piece of writing of 579 characters, which profoundly affected his writing style.

He is traditionally held to have first studied his father's style and then that of Zhang Zhi , who was renowned for his one-stroke, 'flying-white' calligraphy linking a column of characters in one charge of the brush.

Wang inherited his father's talent for the art, although his siblings were all notable calligraphers. His father and he are known in the calligraphy history as Two Wangs.

A versatile calligrapher, Wang Xianzhi was good at the cursive script and characters. His use of the brush was innovative and turned the unsophisticated ancient style into a new style known for its boldness. Amongst his innovations is the one-stroke cursive script, which blends all characters in the writing in a single stroke.

His influence on the calligraphers of the later generations was huge. Until the Tang Dynasty his influence and reputation rivalled and even surpassed that of his father.

Few of his original works have survived, and they are Yatouwan Tie, Luo Shen Fu Shisan Hang, Shieryue Tie and Zhongqiu Tie.

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王献之 (344-388或386)，生于山阴会稽，是个有名的书法家。他是著名书法家王羲之的第七子，东晋简文帝的驸马。和他的父亲一样，他官至中书令，或称大令，后人并以此称呼他。

他自小就是个书法神童，享有少年书法家的名誉。八岁就参加了父亲的兰亭会。七岁时，一次，父亲悄悄地在他的背后，突然要拔起他的毛笔。由于献之执笔太紧以致父亲没法把它抽起。父亲惊叹此儿日后必大有前途。献之自己亦言他在24岁时，在深山漫游时得到了579字的写法，由此书法大进。

一般的说法是，他先学习他父亲的书法，然后学张芝。张芝以一笔字，飞白而著名。

献之得到了他父亲艺术天分的遗传，他的哥哥们也都是名书法家。与其父并称‘二王’。

一个多才多艺的书法家，王献之以草书著称。他的用笔有新意，把简朴的古法转为果敢的新法。他的创新包括了一笔字。
他对后代的影响很大。在唐代之前，他的影响与名声无人可比，甚至还超过其父。
他所留下来的真品不多，其中包括《鴨頭丸帖》，《洛神賦十三行》，《十二月帖》与《中秋帖》。